RISK! – The Best of RISK! #35 (May 5, 2026)
Host: Kevin Allison
Stories by: Scott McMahon, Chelsea Dy
Episode Theme: Jaw-dropping, uncensored true stories about survival, trauma, addiction, and self-forgiveness.
Brief Overview
This “Best of” installment of RISK! features two extraordinary true stories: Scott McMahon’s harrowing account of being wrongfully imprisoned in the Philippines and Chelsea Dy’s searing exploration of addiction, loss, and reckoning with painful responsibility. Host Kevin Allison curates and personally connects with both storytellers as they dissect the moments, catastrophes, and revelations that shaped their lives. The episode is an exemplar of the show’s mission: “Stories you never thought you’d dare to share in public.”
Story 1: "Midnight in Manila" by Scott McMahon
[Starts at 03:25]
Scott McMahon, an American expat, recounts his ordeal of wrongful imprisonment and survival in a notoriously overcrowded Manila jail, illustrating the harsh realities and corruption in the Philippine justice system.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
-
Life in Manila:
Scott moved to Manila in 2009 with his family, working long construction hours. He befriended Yan, a Belgian neighbor, both of them being the only white foreigners in their residential area. The friendship unwittingly entangled him in a web of scams and legal drama.
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Yan's Situation Unfolds:
- Yan’s wife, Dolores, is discovered to possess dozens of women’s passports and has a secret previous marriage—unsettling in a country where divorce is nearly impossible.
- Discovering Dolores’s forged marriage to Yan leads to escalating conflict.
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Dramatic Arrests and Fallout:
- Dolores orchestrates Yan’s arrest on false domestic violence charges, traumatizing Scott’s family (09:25).
- Dolores then threatens Scott’s family, leading to further psychological distress.
“She would threaten them, especially my wife. She said, you should have never gotten involved in our problems. You’re gonna pay. You’re gonna wish you never got involved.”
– Scott McMahon [10:23]
“Everyone sat on their butt and the person in front of you sat his butt on your feet and your hands were on his shoulders. … Like opening a can of sardines. That’s how people slept.”
– Scott McMahon [21:43]
- Life Inside – Survival and Alliances:
- The “mayor” (gang leader) runs the cell. After an attempted attack, Scott earns protection—and a bed—by paying for the privilege (28:29).
- Scott faces moral challenges—initially sharing food with starving inmates, until advised against “prolonging their misery.”
“Better them than you, right? … Life means nothing. So I had to change my whole mentality.”
– Gang leader & Scott McMahon [25:19]
- Endemic Corruption:
- Police, prosecutors, and judges attempt to extort huge bribes to drop charges or expedite his case (30:08–33:41).
- When Scott resists extortion, his family is threatened with violence—highlighting the lawless, predatory environment.
“You never know. Rape, murder … people come missing all the time, man.”
– Corrupt official [33:38]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
“Every six weeks, another cop would come in: five million pesos, drop your case … same thing every time.”
– Scott McMahon [31:19]
“Mental torture is the worst, man. I’d rather be physically tortured than mentally tortured like that.”
– Scott McMahon [39:11]
“The truth was, I was scared to go out because I’d been there so long … I was institutionalized.”
– Scott McMahon [44:20]
- Family Reunification:
On returning home, Scott discovers the distance and trauma irreparably altered his children’s relationship with him, but playful reconnection eventually helped heal.
[46:46] Interlude: Host Reflections
Kevin Allison reflects on the value of storytelling, quoting Alan Rickman:
“The more we’re governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are and why we are and where we come from and what might be possible.”
– Kevin Allison [47:30, paraphrasing Alan Rickman]
Story 2: "Post Mortem" by Chelsea Dy
[Begins at 52:12]
A raw, introspective narrative about addiction, privilege, complicity, and profound grief—tracing Chelsea’s journey from small-town prodigy to opioid dependent med student, and the deadly impact of sharing her addiction with the person she loved most.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
-
Origins of Addiction & Privilege:
- Grew up in an affluent, competitive, expectation-filled small town as a highly intelligent but bullied and chronically ill child.
- Early drug and alcohol use provided both escape from trauma and a social outlet.
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Academic Success Amidst Chaos:
- Despite addiction, excelled academically: “Graduated NYU with honors … wrote my 20-page honors thesis on a three-day cocaine bender.” [53:26]
- Prescribed strong opioids for legitimate health problems, eventually leading to fentanyl dependency (55:44).
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Cycle of Relapse:
- Multiple rehabs, sober living, and periods of hope; struggles to maintain sobriety despite outward “success.”
- Describes mixing drugs for “landing gear” after coke binges, and how opioids undermined her capacity to function academically.
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Key Relationship – Alex:
- Alex was her childhood friend, partner in addiction, and “partner in crime.”
- After a stint in rehab, warned by others that rekindling with Alex would be mutually destructive—but their bond proves irresistible.
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Crucial Relapse and Growing Guilt:
- On return to medical school, a white coat ceremony triggers relapse when she finds & chews old fentanyl (60:22).
- Attempts to continue functioning—fails and cycles through further benders.
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Catalyst for Self-Destruction:
- Introduces Alex to IV heroin use—teaching him the method that would later kill him.
- Recounts the complexity of codependence and the relentless cycle of using, shame, and attempted redemption.
“I taught this person I loved the most horrible, dangerous, sinister thing that I had ever learned. And I taught it to him.”
– Chelsea Dy [73:31]
“I have to forgive myself for taking away the most important thing in my own life.”
– Chelsea Dy [81:22]
“Not feeling feelings is not the same thing as not having those feelings.”
– Chelsea Dy [83:04]
- The Power of Narration:
- Both Chelsea and Kevin discuss how the act of storytelling—as opposed to therapy or AA—opens new emotional dimensions and understanding.
“Having a built-in witness with this storytelling thing … someone who wants all of you, right?”
– Chelsea Dy [91:30]
- Chelsea’s Reflections on Community Reaction:
- Strongly positive feedback from friends, family, and listeners after the story aired.
- Chose to leave the episode public even against criticism to honor her own story and recovery.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On the Denial and Trauma of Addiction:
“Addiction is so insidious—it divides your own mind. It divides you from the people that you love. It allows you to sit next to your own denial and still behave in ways that hurt yourself and others.”
– Chelsea Dy [77:13]
- On Responsibility, Forgiveness, and Survival:
“I buried it for survival … I absolutely have to forgive myself for taking away the most important thing in my own life.”
– Chelsea Dy [80:03, 81:25]
- On Why Storytelling Matters:
“When a story is as told with as much heart and honesty and daring as yours today, people will have breakthroughs … the emotional truth was there.”
– Kevin Allison [94:22]
“You’re saving the quality of life for people just by hearing that there’s other people out there that are as expansive and as interesting and as different … as outside the cookie cutter thing.”
– Chelsea Dy [93:39]
Important Timestamps
- 03:25 – Scott McMahon’s story begins
- 14:53 – Scott is arrested at McDonald’s
- 17:59 – Explanation of the Maria Clara Doctrine
- 21:31 – Description of jail conditions
- 28:29 – Scott strikes deal with gang leader/mayor for safety
- 33:38 – Threats against Scott’s family recounted
- 39:11 – Mental torture and terror of his family’s potential murder
- 44:45 – Scott is released after acquittal
- 46:46 – Kevin Allison interlude/reflection on storytelling
- 52:12 – Chelsea Dy’s story (“Post Mortem”) begins
- 55:44 – Ongoing opioid prescription leads to fentanyl addiction
- 60:22 – Relapses at white coat ceremony
- 71:36 – Chelsea hiding evidence of using in anatomy lab
- 73:31 – Realization of complicity in Alex’s addiction
- 77:23 – Alex’s death and Chelsea’s grappling with guilt
- 80:03 – Self-forgiveness and emotional release
- 83:21–92:00 – Kevin and Chelsea on therapy, storytelling, “not feeling feelings”
- 93:39 – The RISK! audience as a transformative community
- 94:54 – Outro and Chelsea’s account of responses after her story aired
Conclusion and Final Takeaways
This episode of RISK! demonstrates the unmatched emotional depth and rawness possible when people share their truest, most vulnerable experiences. Scott McMahon’s survival of a corrupt, life-shattering imprisonment and Chelsea Dy’s reckoning with her addiction and the ripple of consequences it unleashed offer not just extraordinary stories, but lessons in resilience, community, and the necessity of compassion—even (and especially) for ourselves.
Spread the word:
RISK! urges its listeners to share these stories widely, championing the healing and transformation that come through radical truth-telling. “Stories you never thought you’d dare to share in public” isn’t just a tagline—it’s a literal lifeline for hosts, guests, and listeners alike.
For more information on workshops and future RISK! events, including Chelsea’s upcoming art show “Room for Grief,” visit Risk Show or follow on all social media @riskshow.
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